Hot off the presses!!

FLOZi · Post by **FLOZi** » 13 Jul 2005, 12:20

Wooo, someone agrees, not just me being crazy then.

I have two units/weapons with a similar range, and hence, velocity, as I use the range equation to calculate the desired velocity for my ballistic weapons (sqrt(range * gravity constant)).

I altered one of these weapons by doubling its velocity. The results were as follows:

Spring:
Unaltered - fires accurately to its max range
Altered - overshoots

MiniSpring:
Unaltered - fires to less than half its range
Altered - fires to accurately to max range

Furthermore, in both Spring and MiniSpring, the angle calculated for the unaltered weapon when firing at max range is approximately 45degrees (i.e. correct) whereas the altered weapon is about half that in both instances.

*Surely* weapon behaviour should no be so different between Spring and MiniSpring?

Neuralize · Post by **Neuralize** » 13 Jul 2005, 14:39

Odd. Me and my friend reverted back to the last version of Spring, 51b1, and the error of him having a hug cpu/whatever lag for 30 seconds still persisted, very weird, as we've played that version many a time and never had such a problem cropped up before, I thought it might have been the data we were using, a modified version of OTA that I've been doing silly things with, but it was not. Hm.

Buggi · Post by **Buggi** » 13 Jul 2005, 19:06

Have you guys recently updated your graphics drivers?

Also to fix the weapons TTL, I'm going to see if modifying the division will help, that's just not right, the point of the system is to reduce the velocity so it looks better, not to have you just turn around and double the velocities.

-Buggi

FLOZi · Post by **FLOZi** » 13 Jul 2005, 21:21

Well... they looked fine to me before.

Buggi · Post by **Buggi** » 13 Jul 2005, 21:32

They might have looked fine, but that doesn't mean they were right.

Unit size halfed, their speed halved, their weapons should not go without adjustment.

-Buggi

Neuralize · Post by **Neuralize** » 13 Jul 2005, 23:19

Go into normal Spring and fire a big bertha at something, then do the same thing in minispring.

Here are two radar images overlayed on each other. The red being a Big Bertha that is firing at max range in normal spring, and the green being a Big Bertha that is firing at max range in minispring. It looks like you've doubled up somewhere, as the max range of the Minispring Big Bertha is a forth, and not half of what the normal spring Big bertha is firing at. I also took note of the range circles around the Big Berthas (When you click attack.), they both displayed correct ranges for their scale, however, when told to fire, the Minispring bertha only fired half of it's supposed range.

FLOZi · Post by **FLOZi** » 14 Jul 2005, 02:38

I still say they didn't need changing

Buggi · Post by **Buggi** » 14 Jul 2005, 03:42

Again, I reiterate, something is hosey with the way it calculates how long a projectile stays in the air.

I'm still trying to track it down.

Thanks for the screeny though. :) Shows effort :D

-Buggi

Archangel of Death · Post by **Archangel of Death** » 14 Jul 2005, 07:07

Check the concepts behind the math? Maybe your doing the halving to early. Or maybe with too easy a method. Are you trying to halve the distance in the trajectory calculations or what range number it "thinks" its getting from the .tdf file?

FLOZi · Post by **FLOZi** » 14 Jul 2005, 21:34

Buggi wrote:Again, I reiterate, something is hosey with the way it calculates how long a projectile stays in the air.

I'm still trying to track it down.

Thanks for the screeny though. :) Shows effort :D

-Buggi

Hmmm, actually, with high trajectory it did seem really quite ridiculous. Now high trajectory on the altered weapon in miniSpring doesn't have any effect when firing at max range.

Gabba · Post by **Gabba** » 14 Jul 2005, 21:51

Guys, I think I missed out on something. Can you explain me what's the concept/need behind minispring? It seems to me that the simplest way to change the scale of the game would be to make the trees smaller and make bigger mountains/larger maps, rather than changing all unit's scale and stats.

So...?

FLOZi · Post by **FLOZi** » 14 Jul 2005, 22:03

doubling the size of a map makes it... well. BIGGER. And someare already pretty huge. Also there is an altitude limit in the Spring engine, miniSpring doubles a map vertically also.

Halving the units is perfect answer with fewer drawbacks (cept the pathfinding issue which still hasn't been explained)

Buggi · Post by **Buggi** » 15 Jul 2005, 00:19

Build 7 available. Please test test test the crap out of this stuff!!

http://www.epicedit.com/spring.zip

Paralyzer now supported
New map format fully supported, maps must now be in .SDZ files in your game root with a /maps/ dir embeded in the archive. I'm pretty sure .SD7 is supported to, but this is why you TEST.

Made some changes to weapon velocities in hopes to finally fix the range error. TEST it!

Another SY change to test:

Code: Select all

-Made ballistic weapons range somewhat more dependent on relative height of weapon and target

Not sure what it means, so TEST. Report on my desk...er... never mind.

I'm looking into the new map format more in depth now that everything is finalized AND supported. Must tweak and test

A test map, supplied by SJ
http://www.epicedit.com/smalldivide.sdz

Storm, please mirror :) you the best!

*edit*
WHOA WHOA WHOA!!!
Hold on a minute, it doesn't recognize older maps! Darnit! SJ!!! I thought this was going to be compatible with older maps!??! What gives??

@_@
*endedit*

Thanks all!
-Buggi

Masse · Post by **Masse** » 15 Jul 2005, 00:28

fixed

and thanks buggi

and btw PARALYZE WORKS HURRAY for dat

Buggi · Post by **Buggi** » 15 Jul 2005, 00:54

Odd... o_O

http://www.epicedit.com/smalldivide.zip

Use that instead. :)

-Buggi

Torrasque · Post by **Torrasque** » 15 Jul 2005, 01:34

Thanks buggi
Hum, now, all map have to be recompiled. Are you going to release a SharpMap2000 soon?

Buggi · Post by **Buggi** » 15 Jul 2005, 01:38

Obviously a new beta will have to be done with the entire format changed. >_<

And no compatibility with older maps?! AHHHHHHHHH

Maybe by Sunday I'll have the new beta ready. @_@

For now, for smaller maps, use the new MapConv SJ put together.
http://www.epicedit.com/MapConv.zip
You still need the nvdxt.exe util, that's just the map converter.

-Buggi

Neuralize · Post by **Neuralize** » 15 Jul 2005, 06:56

Build 7 Beef.

Custom starburst rocket models have a flaw, they go up correctly, but when they reach apogee and start coming back down, the model becomes very slim and completely different, it almost collapses on itself, or something.

Note: It would be nice if I knew the smd stuff regarding hardness and unitspeeds for the new map format.

Script.txt works, but it still can't find .smd of my map in the .sdz.

Note: Too, I wish to be able to have a map folder for the new format, Spring folder clutter = bad. And, it would be sooo much easier for me just to zip up the three files and not have to put them in a map folder before hand. YEAP.

LathanStanley · Post by **LathanStanley** » 15 Jul 2005, 16:08

guess with build 7 running I need to get crackin on my map features...

I can test em now.. yay!

and btw.. buggi... get that danged new 3do builder / editor/ skinner/ whatever you wanna call it, proggie to work

FLOZi · Post by **FLOZi** » 16 Jul 2005, 02:56

Pretty much the same as before for me, only its 3/4 of the distance instead of 1/2

Spring RTS Engine

Hot off the presses!!